Reports, proud muckraking, photos, videos and musings from the veteran LGBT and AIDS human rights advocate Michael Petrelis. Based in San Francisco since 1995.
Contact: MPetrelis_at_AOL_dot_com.
Vote Petrelis for BART Board District 9 in November!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

HRC: FLOTUS Aide = Spokesperson, Sainz Out. Is Griffin Going?

What's happening at the executive level of the Human Rights Campaign, as Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign to become POTUS every day gears up more machinery and rakes in more money? HRC, the gay wing of the Democratic Party in all but name, and HRC, the candidate, have never been far apart and expect no sunlight to come between the HRCs.

I received this auto-reply from Fred Sainz, one of the five top executives under Chad Griffin, who was in charge of communication, is on his way out:

"Thank you for your email. Over the next few weeks, I'll be transitioning out from the Human Rights Campaign. I will no longer be actively checking this account. It's been my great honor to work for this organization that I admire deeply."

Sainz is gone and here's who has replaced him, according to a July 14 release:

"Olivia Alair Dalton, who was senior VP for SKDKnickerbocker and spokesperson for First Lady Michelle Obama, has joined the Human Rights Campaign as senior VP-communications & marketing. [...] At SKDKnick, she worked with HRC to help manage a communications "war room" in support of the Respect for Marriage Coalition. [...] The new HRC staffer also served as spokesperson for former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Vice President Joe Biden."

From Dalton's perch as an aide to FLOTUS and the Veep, not to mention collecting a paycheck from the powerhouse lobbying and PR firm where Hilary Rosen, former HRC board of directors president, is a longtime managing director of political affairs, we're witnessing Democrats rearranging the pieces on their political chessboard.

Mighty small 1% of the LGBT elites from HRC to SKDKnickerbocker on over to the DNC still running the show for themselves, and ordinary LGBT folks are barely on the radar. These moneyed queers are looking out for themselves first and foremost.

Those are verifiable facts and I also wish to pass along a rumor I've heard that cannot be substantiated. Make of it what you will.

A branch of the gay grapevine has buzzed in recent weeks that Griffin was moving on to pursue other endeavors. Whether that's due to his own choosing or a push from the board is unknown, is mere speculation. Btw, BuzzFeed's gay reporter Chris Geidner conducted a lengthy interview with Griffin published on July 16 and his employment status was raised:

"As to another rumor circulating — that, with marriage done, Griffin is readying to leave the organization — he laughed. 'I did not come here to this organization for marriage,” Griffin said. “I have my dream job. I have never had a job that I’ve loved and enjoyed more than this one.'"

Remaining or leaving, expect Griffin to put all of his skills toward (re)electing Clinton to the White House where he worked during Billary's first Oval Office stint and where he probably wants to find himself again employed.

Just my two queer cents, at this point in the 2016 presidential race which I am already quite over!